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U.S. Reduces Visa Processing in Russia

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The U.S. Embassy in Russia is suspending all nonimmigrant visa operations beginning Wednesday, Aug. 23, “as a result of the Russian government’s personnel cap imposed on the U.S. mission,” the embassy said. Beginning Sept. 1 visa interviews will resume, but only in Moscow. Nonimmigrant-visa interviews at U.S. consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok are suspended indefinitely.

Students and scholars are among those who come to the U.S. on nonimmigrant visas. The embassy said it plans to offer a block of visa appointments to students who need to get to their universities in the U.S. in early September.

The U.S. Embassy said it will “operate at reduced capacity for as long as our staffing levels are reduced.”

The Russian government recently said the U.S. diplomatic mission in Russia would have to reduce its staff by 755 people. The move was in response to new sanctions against Russia imposed by the U.S. over Kremlin interference in the 2016 presidential election.